Ranking The 9 Best Rookie Seasons By An NFL Quarterback In League History

Quarterback is the most scrutinized and publicized position on the football field. As a result, it is often viewed as the most important.

No other player, outside of the center, touches the ball more. None have a bigger impact on the play calling. Successes and failures of the offense fall at the signal caller’s feet. It is the only position in which wins and losses are attributed.

Great quarterbacks are few and far between. Those that rise to stardom become the faces of their respective franchises.

NFL teams are always on the hunt for their next leader. Many are selected through the draft process. Most struggle to find immediate success.

There are a handful, however, that not only earn a spot in the starting lineup as rookies, but that shine in Year 1. Below, we rank 9 of the best to ever do it.

9 Best NFL Seasons By A Rookie Quarterback

This list is based on Pro-Football Reference’s AV Rating for each passer. The Approximate Value of these players is “an attempt to put a single number on the seasonal value of a player at any position from any year.”

Essentially, it answers the question of, “How important was the player to the team?” The method does so by evaluating production, as well as team performance.

Due to the changing nature of the game, designed to help offensive attacks, all nine of these signal callers entered the league within the last two decades. Players like Dan Marino and Greg Cook did not make the cut as offenses were generally less prolific in seasons’ past.

It may not be a perfect list, but the AV does provide a starting point in identifying some of the NFL’s top rookie passers. We’ll start with No. 9 on the list.

CJ Stroud

AV: 14

Stroud entered the NFL in 2023 after being the Houston Texans’ first draft pick. He immediately took the league by storm, posting one of the best statistical seasons in history.

Stroud threw for a league-high 273 yards per game while leading the team to an AFC South title. He then picked up a playoff win over the Browns to advance to the second weekend.

His 101.7 passer rating ranks No. 2 all-time for NFL rookie quarterbacks, as do his 4,557 passing yards.

Matt Ryan

AV: 14

Ryan was a rookie in the 2008 season, making him the oldest player on this list. A first round pick of the Atlanta Falcons, he posted strong numbers in an 11-win campaign.

The passer threw for 3,440 yards and 16 scores to win Offensive Rookie of the Year and help his team make the postseason. Unfortunately, it ended with a first round loss to the Cardinals.

Ryan’s first season was just a glimpse of things to come. He’d later achieve accolades to include league MVP, NFC Champion, and Pro Bowler.

Kyler Murray

AV: 14

Murray had a choice to make given his first-round status as both a football and baseball star. He ultimately picked the NFL, which paid immediate dividends.

The Heisman trophy winner followed his college production up with an Offensive Rookie of the Year honor. A dual threat, he threw for 3,722 yards and ran for 544 more.

In all, he totaled 24 touchdowns while completing 64.4% of his attempts. Unfortunately, it didn’t lead to team success as Arizona finished just 5-10-1.

Mac Jones

AV: 14

Jones was the first draft choice of the New England Patriots in 2021 as they continued to search for Tom Brady’s replacement. He was able to briefly fill that void.

The Alabama product posted his best NFL season as a rookie, throwing for 3,801 yards and 22 scores while winning 10 games. His season ended in the playoffs with a loss to the Bills in the Wildcard Round.

Jones’ totals in yards and touchdowns remain career-highs through five professional seasons. He was the runner-up for the Offensive Player of the Year and made his only Pro Bowl.

Dak Prescott

AV: 15

Prescott is the first player on this list that was not a first round NFL Draft pick. In fact, he fell to the fourth round in 2016 before being scooped up by the Dallas Cowboys.

Since, he’s shined. He took over in his first season with the franchise for an injured Tony Romo. Prescott started 16 games, winning 13 to lead Dallas to the playoffs.

During that time, he threw for 3,667 yards and 23 scores in the regular season along with four interceptions. He also rushed for six touchdowns on 57 carries.

He’d lose his first postseason matchup, but his rookie year would kickstart a successful career. He’s since signed record setting contracts while winning 61% of his games and leading five playoff runs.

Russell Wilson

AV: 16

Wilson was a star in Year 1 with the Seattle Seahawks, throwing for 3,118 yards and 26 touchdowns to land a Pro Bowl invite. He won 11 of his 16 starts to lead his team to the NFL Playoffs.

There, he went 1-1 with a win over Washington. His 100.3 season rating ranks as the fourth-best of all time among rookie passers.

It would be the start of what could be a Hall of Fame career. He won a Super Bowl in Year 2 and appeared in another the following season.

Robert Griffin III

AV: 18

Griffin won a Heisman at Baylor before becoming a first round NFL Draft pick in Washington. His college success translated immediately to the professional level.

In Year 1 he was named Offensive Rookie of the Year, beating out Andrew Luck and previously mentioned Russell Wilson.

RGIII threw for 3,200 yards and 20 scores while adding 815 yards on the ground. He also boasted a season-long passer rating of 101.2 which is third in NFL history amongst rookies.

Cam Newton

AV: 19

Newton had one of the most impressive statistical seasons of a rookie QB in NFL history. He totaled 4,784 combined yards passing, rushing, and receiving, a number that tops every other first year signal caller ever.

A Heisman trophy winner out of Auburn, he became the No. 1 overall pick for the Carolina Panthers in 2011. While the team struggled to a 6-10 record, Newton shined.

The Offensive Rookie of the Year threw for a career-high 4,051 yards in his first professional season. He’d later go onto win a league MVP and make a Super Bowl appearance.

Jayden Daniels

AV: 20

Daniels owns the highest “Approximate Value” of any rookie NFL passer at 20. His debut season came in 2024, and it trumps most in many different ways.

The LSU product was the complete package. He had production across a long span of games while also finding success in the postseason.

Washington chose the Heisman winner with its first pick in the ’24 NFL Draft. He wasted no time in proving that pick right, throwing for 3,568 yards and 25 touchdowns. He rushed another 891 yards, leading all NFC quarterbacks.

Daniels went 12-5 as a starter to guide the Commanders to the playoffs. He then won a pair of postseason matchups to reach the NFC Championship. As a result, he was named Offensive Rookie of the Year.